Anthonia Onigbode: Financial Qualified Tribunal Member

Background

I qualified as a chartered accountant in 1999 and am a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, with over 30 years’ experience in senior financial and operational roles across the not-for-profit sector. Until August 2025, I combined the CEO and CFO roles at a social enterprise organisation, leading it through the pandemic and delivering a multi-million-pound, award-winning regeneration project. Alongside this, I have built extensive board-level governance experience, currently serving in treasurer and trustee positions across several charities and community organisations, where I have been responsible for financial oversight, risk management, and strategic decision-making.

Personally, I spent over 30 years working in deprived communities, and that experience shaped my values and my instinct to help others. Outside my professional roles, I also coordinate events and activities for a women’s group within my faith community, organising retreats, conferences, and annual gatherings, including sourcing venues, managing budgets, and liaising with a wide range of stakeholders. This blend of financial discipline and community-focused project management has been a constant thread throughout my life, and it was ultimately what drew me toward becoming a Financial Qualified Tribunal Member (FQTM).

I was on sabbatical and at a genuine crossroads, ready for a change of direction and wanting to use my skills to give something back to society. A spiritual daughter of mine sent me the role listing. Reading it, I recognised both the fit with my long-standing interest in social justice and the transferable skills I’d built over three decades in finance, governance, and community coordination.

Reading the job specification, the FQTM presentation, and all the other resources JAC provided gave me real clarity about what the role required day-to-day. Matching that against my professional qualifications, my board-level governance experience, and my years of organising complex projects and events gave me the confidence that I had the transferable skills to succeed.

The application

The process ran from July 2024 to May 2025. Lengthy, but well worth the wait. It comprised a written application form followed by assessment and role play, testing attention to detail, the ability to analyse and quickly assimilate complex information, communication skills, effective work management, considered decision-making based on evidence, understanding of the law, and the ability to work well with others. I did not find the process daunting; in fact, I enjoyed the interview, which was also my first ever conducted over MS Teams. The Chair of the panel made me feel comfortable throughout, though my assessors did comment that the volume of questions was demanding. The JAC were supportive and encouraging in their communications at every stage, and the whole process was genuinely enlightening.

The role

Following appointment, I completed observation and induction training before being able to sit on tribunals relating to Social Security and Child Support cases. One early adjustment was realising how much of the role, particularly preparation work, is done independently. I also had to get used to working in offices with high-security doors, though by my second visit I had adapted and now always keep my security pass close at hand.

What has struck me most, though, is the culture within the Social Entitlement Chamber. The judges and colleagues I work alongside are remarkably knowledgeable and articulate, drawn from all sorts of backgrounds, and genuinely generous with guidance; you are never left to figure things out alone. Each hearing is different. As an FQTM, my role is to assess financial records, which can be challenging when the evidence provided is incomplete, but I find this work genuinely fascinating, we essentially act as auditors within the tribunal process. There are preparatory reading of evidence bundles before each hearing and further work afterwards, and because we sit as two alongside a judge, teamwork is central to everything we do.

New FQTMs are well supported from the outset. You receive a two-day induction, an in-court observation alongside another FQTM and a judge, and a dedicated buddy day. There is also a training portal with extensive materials, and ongoing access to advice and support whenever it’s needed. FQTMs meet quarterly on MS Teams to discuss issues and share tips with one another, which keeps the sense of community strong even though much of the day-to-day work is done independently. We have refresher training annually.

There is enormous job satisfaction in playing a part in the fair administration of justice, helping to ensure people receive the support they are entitled to and contributing to the resolution of disputes. It echoes, in many ways, the sense of purpose I’ve found through years of organising and coordinating for the benefit of others in my community. The role also offers genuine flexibility: FQTMs must be available for a minimum of 30 sessions per calendar year, but can otherwise choose how often to sit, whether as a primary income source or alongside other work. I’ve since taken on a further judicial role as a Lay Member of the Property Tribunal, which continues to offer the opportunity to serve, develop new skills, and contribute to a fairer society.

I currently sit across three centres in London, and enjoy the variety this brings, with different teams, different dynamics, and different people at each location who make me feel welcome, from the security officers to the administrative teams and the judges I sit with. I am never confined to just one building or one set of colleagues.

If you are interested in justice, equality, fairness and public service, then I would highly recommend working as a Tribunal Member.